My former high school buddy and I braved the cold early yesterday evening to head over to Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis to check out the Super Bowl festivities. We meandered through ice carvings, Prince memorabilia, and the Kitten Bowl, finally landing at Brit's Pub to warm up with a beer. At Brit's, we were surrounded by loud guys who CARED, truly cared, about the big game.

Okay, I lead a somewhat sheltered life.

We had a lively exchange with a family of fans from Philadelphia who couldn't understand why people would choose to live in a place with below zero temperatures. We didn't convince them to move, but parted ways on a friendly note and ventured back toward the Green Line as a younger set of adventurers was just getting started on their night's festivities.

The Super Bowl is getting into full swing. The question most people ask me when they find out I'm an Airbnb host is: "Are you booked yet?" I reply, "Yes - but it's not like you think."

Like many hosts, I had raised my prices somewhat in anticipation of the masses of spectators descending on our fair cities. Then, something unexpected happened. I was contacted by a family who was moving to the Twin Cities just in time for all the Super Bowl craziness. With two little kids, two dogs, and a cat, they weren't finding any lodging within 50 miles that could be had at a reasonable price.

I'll hike prices for people willing to pay obscene prices for a football ticket. I will not raise my rates on a family making a job-related move. I gave them my regular rate. We had dinner together the other night. Their 4 year old gave me a hug.